funny thing was just the other day I was showing my children how to make fire with two sticks. Didn't work. Father failure, though they did understand the idea of friction and the result: heat. Now, my second attempt is using a boot lace with bow (from curved stick) to turn a wood axle with a top brace. Makes smoke, but no fire yet. Somehow, this was much easier when I was younger. However, my point is the basic skills are just as important as the knowledge.